Cooperative Market: Locally Focused

Durango Natural Foods Co-op is a member-owned cooperative market. Originally established because of an expressed need for local and organic food, the member-owners of Durango Natural Foods Co-op have always had equal say regarding where the organization’s money goes. Member-owned also signifies that every penny spent at Durango Natural Foods Co-op stays in the local economy: produce is sourced from local farmers to support the region’s agriculture industry, and any profits stay within the co-op rather than leaving the area. Durango Natural Foods Co-op’s main objective for establishing and maintaining a member-owned cooperative market is to create a regenerative economy for the local community, while maintaining the health of our planet and the people in our community while being able to provide the natural, local, and organic foods that the residents of La Plata county desire.

Local Produce & Products

The Product Policy at Durango Natural Foods Co-op emphasizes natural, organic, and local foods. By purchasing locally and regionally grown produce, Durango Natural Foods Co-op supports the area’s economy and gives you and all other shoppers the direct opportunity to support it, too. When you purchase carrots at Durango Natural Foods Co-op, you’ll be comforted by knowing that those dollars go to a local farmer such as Twin Buttes and others. Sourcing local produce allows you to be able to know where your food was grown, help the environment by keeping the carbon footprint of your food low and even know the farmers who grew it for you. Everything placed on the shelves can be fully trusted according to the high level of nutritional awareness maintained by Durango Natural Foods Co-op. Under the product policy, the co-op promises to be transparent with anything on their shelves. Keep an eye out for purple tagged items in the store as these are what Durango Natural Foods Co-op calls “co-op basics” - pantry staples that are organic and priced as low as possible!

Organic Meals Every Day

The deli at Durango Natural Foods Co-op offers affordable and organic options for breakfast, lunch or dinner! The co-op proudly offers multiple vegetarian and vegan options at the deli so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy locally sourced and organic meals. Daily specials run from vegetable coconut curry to fish tacos! Get a rice bowl any day of the week with organic brown basmati rice, steamed veggies, choice of sauce, and optional protein choices like egg, tofu, baked chicken breast, or green chile black beans. If you don’t have time for a made-to-order meal, the Grab&Go offers ready-made sandwiches, salads, and sides of every kind. The deli menu offers other daily options like breakfast burritos, sandwiches, soups, and salads.

Grassroots History

Durango Natural Foods Co-op began as a handful of people who desired local and organic foods. In 1973, this group got together to create a food buying club. The co-op was initially created by and for the local community to serve a specific purpose that wasn’t being fulfilled anywhere else in the Durango area. Forty-five years later, the Durango Natural Foods Co-op maintains the objective of providing exactly what the local community is asking for: locally grown produce and organic, trustworthy food products. Having grown significantly, there are 2,000 families and individuals who share ownership of the co-op, alongside some of the founding owners of 1973. While the size, capacity, and members have grown, the ultimate goal of Durango Natural Foods Co-op has not changed.

Own a Grocery Store With Your Friends

As a member, you will receive equal say in the democratic system that defines how Durango Natural Foods Co-op operates. Memberships are integral to keeping the co-op system alive. To become a member-owner, simply purchase 15 shares at $20 each. Pay these over the course of 5 years, and you may become an equal member and owner of Durango Natural Foods Co-op! This money goes directly towards capital improvements within the organization - improvements that you have an equal voice to decide on. As a member, you may receive discounts on case orders, as well as be a part of a community that directly delivers what locals ask for. Durango Natural Foods Co-op gives you the unique opportunity to own a grocery store with your friends and have a direct impact on helping the local economy.